Apparatus for loading passengers on a ski tow



v Sept. 5, 1967 w. R. SNELLER j 3,339,496 APPARATUS FOR LOADINGPASSENGERS ON A SKI TOW Filed Sept. 2'7, 1965 I l a II 4?;

IN VEN 70/1 I W/umw cSlVELlE/P United States Patent 3,339,496 APPARATUSFOR LOADING PASSENGERS ON A SKI TOW. William R. Sneller, 21800 St. ClairAve., Cleveland, Ohio 44117 Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,192 3Claims. (Cl. 104-173) This invention relates to improvements in a methodand apparatus for loading passengers on a ski tow.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a methodand apparatus for loading passengers automatically and in an orderlymanner on a moving ski tow having seats spaced substantially regularlyalong the tow wherein a conveyor is provided for moving a number ofpassengers in an upright position to a loading point in the path of theski tow and stopping the conveyor so that the passengers are in positionto engage the next seat coming along and passing the loading point. Theinvention comprises means for moving the conveyor one span at a timewherein each span is capable of holding the full number of passengers toload one of the seats of the ski tow to capacity but obviously mighthold less than such full number at any one time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and description and the essential features will beset forth in the appended claims.

The invention is described in connection with the lower end of a ski towat the bottom of a hill, although it will be understood that thepassengers might be loaded at any selected loading point. The inventionis described for the ski tow having seats holding two passengers eachand the invention is disclosed for loading two passengers at a time onsuch seats. It will be understood that the seats might have a greatercapacity such as three or four and the invention would obviously thenoperate in exactly the same way except that the span of the conveyorbelt loading the standing passengers would then have space for three orfour passengers in each span.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 I have shown a portion of a ski tow involving anendless cable passing around the bull wheel 11 at the lower end of a skislope. This is a standard construction and no further description of thesame is believed necessary here. The seats 12 are spaced substantiallyregularly along the cable 10, suspended from a long generally verticalbar 13 which is clamped to the cable 10 in a known manner. Suchstructure is old and well known and further description is believed tobe unnecessary here. A mentioned above, the seats shown here are for twopassengers but they might be designed to hold more than that.

For automatically loading the passengers on the ski tow, I provide aconveyor means having an endless belt passing around a driving drum 15and an idler drum 16 at opposite ends of the run of the belt. The upperside of the top run of the belt is capable of carrying passengersstanding on their skis. The belt travels in the direction of the arrowof FIG. 2. The belt is lined by markers 17 which define spans betweenadjacent markers each capable of holding the number of passengerspreferably up to the capacity of one of the seats 12.

For guiding the passengers to proper positions on the belt 14, Ipreferably define a ramp by means of guide lines or bars 18 so that thepassengers may move onto the belt 14 in an orderly fashion. I prefer toplace the belt 14 above the ground so that it will not be interferredwith by snow fall. In such case, the upper run of the belt 14 might wellbe about four feet above the ground and the loading ramp defined betweenthe members 18 will thus be inclined gradually upwardly from groundlevel at A to belt level at B.

I desire to deliver passengers to the loading point P only in the timeinterval required for successive seats 12 to pass such loading point sothat there will be no conflict between the moving seats and thepassengers. The belt drive here is accomplished by means of a motor 19driving through a speed reducer 20 to a pulley 21 which is connected bydrive belt 22 to a pulley 23 operatively connected with the drum 15through a shaft 24.

The various means might be provided to coordinate the movement of theconveyor belt 14 and the ski tow cable 10, with its attached seats 12.In the form here shown, I have provided a switch 25 suitably spaced tobe actuated by a movable seat and its attached parts just as the seatleaves the loading point P. Referring to FIG. 2, a projecting member 12aextending downwardly from a seat 12 is in a position to strike a switchactuator 26 which is here shown as pivoted at 27 with the actuatorhaving a rear extension 26a in position to engage a switch contact 28when a seat 12 moves the actuator 26 slightly in a counterclockwisedirection about the pivot 27. Electrical conductors connect the switchto a timer 29. One conductor 30 is connected to the pivot 27 and theother conductor 31 is connected to the contact 28. The actuator 26 hassuflicient resiliency to bend as the seat 12 moves toward the right inFIG. 1, so as to close the switch without any breaking strain thereon.Preferably, the portion 26a of the actuator is electrically conductivewhile the forward extending portion is not. The timer is connected tomotor 19 by electrical conductors 32. A suitable source of electriccurrent is indicated at 33.

The timer is set to start upon closing the contact at 28 and ispreferably set to run just the length of one span between the markers 17and then the timer cuts off current to the motor 19 until switch 25 isagain actuated.

In operation of the device, passengers come up the ramp between themarkers 18 and stand at the point B until the conveyor belt is at rest.They then step on the conveyor belt on their skis, the position of whichis shown in three different spans in FIGS. 1 and 2. When a seat 12 movesaway from the loading point P to go on up the slope, the switch actuator26 is triggered causing the timer to operate the motor 19 for a numberof seconds sufiicient to move the next span between markers 17 to theloading point P. The passengers stand in this position until the nextseat 12 comes along when they sit down and are carried up the slope.This operation is repeated as long as the apparatus is energized.

Safety devices for the protection of the passengers are not shown herebut they form no part of the present invention.

In one form of this invention, the belt 14 is about four feet wide andhas about eight feet for each span between markers 17. The ski tow movesat a speed of about 450 feet per minute, the conveyor belt 14 movesabout eight feet in two seconds and is then idle for four seconds. Thisgives a total of six seconds to a cycle for loading two persons. Itwould be made slightly longer in duration for a larger number ofpassengers in each span of belt 14.

It will be noted that the passengers are carried on belt 14 at a heightwhere they may comfortably sit down in seat 12 as it comes along. Theheight of seat 12 is approximately eighteen to twenty inches above theupper run of conveyor belt 14. While the embodiment disclosed herewithshows chairs on the ski tow, it is equally applicable to those devicesusing T-bars. In such cases, however, the height of belt 14 wouldprobably be approximately at ground level.

Wherever in the specification and claims I have used the word seats, Iintend to include chairs, T-bars or any other seat which may be used tocarry a passenger suspended from the overhead cable.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a ski tow having moving seats spacedsubstantially regularly therealong for carrying passengers along a pathat a predetermined speed, conveyor means at an angle to said path andintersecting the same and adapted to carry passengers in an vuprightposition on said conveyor means to a loading point aligned with saidseats in said path at a height where said passengers may occupy saidseats, power means for moving said conveyor means, and control means forcausing said power means to move said conveyor means to deliverpassengers to said loading point only in the time interval between twosuccessive seats passing said loading point.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said conveyor ing a load for saidseats, and said control means causes said conveyor means to move thelength of one span only in the time interval between two successiveseats passing said loading point at said predetermined speed.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said control means comprises anactuator for energizing said power means in timed relation to a seatleaving said loading point and a timer for maintaining said power meansenergized for a time interval necessary to move said conveyor means thedistance of one span.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

means is provided with equal spans each capable of hold- 15 D. F. WORTH,Assistant Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SKI TOW HAVING MOVING SEATS SPACEDSUBSTANTIALLY REGULARLY THEREALONG FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS ALONG A PATHAT A PREDETERMINED SPEED, CONVEYOR MEANS AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PATH ANDINTERSECTING THE SAME AND ADAPTED TO CARRY PASSENGERS IN AN UPRIGHTPOSITION ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO A LOADING POINT ALIGNED WITH SAIDSEATS IN SAID PATH AT A HEIGHT WHERE SAID PASSENGERS MAY OCCYPY SAIDSEATS, POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS FORCAUSING SAID POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO DELIVERPASSENGERS TO SAID LOADING POINT ONLY IN THE TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN TWOSUCCESSIVE SEATS PASSING SAID LOADING POINT.